INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone! In this section, we are going to talk about anthropomorphism. What is anthropomorphism you asked? It's the humanization of any object or concept you find interesting! We will deep dive into the "ideation process" and talk about some tips to make a better, and unique character from anything you want to anthropomorphize. You can also see the detailed process in the Youtube video below. I will split this article into two sections, each with its steps/points you need to pay attention to. However, bear in mind that though the sections have to be done in order, the steps/points inside each of them are not linear. Without further ado, let's get right into it.

SECTION 1 [PREPARATION]

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail", that's what Benjamin Franklin said. This is true, no matter what kind of project you are dealing with, it's better to plan. I would like to ask you to think of character ideation (in this case it's via anthropomorphism) as cooking a certain dish. And before you jump right away and turn on the stove, you will need to prepare the ingredients and the recipe ahead of time!

S1. Step 1 - Pick Main Reference

Pick one main object that sparks your interest! You may pick inanimate objects, animals, flora, brain cells, or anything! The KEY is to pick something that interests you! As for me, I picked Caramel Popcorn (it's one of my favorite food!). This is a picture I took by myself as my main reference.

After you have decided on the main object, don't forget to collect some extra references of it! I took some other popcorn pictures below, to help me understand popcorn shapes latter.

S1. Step 2 - Trace & Break

Just like chopping garlic or dicing an onion, we need to break down our main reference so it will be easier for us to digest later. Just go ahead and trace the picture you've copied in CSP. Then, once you are comfortable enough, try to redraw it and find a pattern that keeps recurring. Below is an example of the traced shapes I did.

In my case, after I traced the seemingly random popcorn, I started to notice that they follow a certain pattern. They originated from corn seed, bursting into tasty clouds right? So, I find out that popcorn's basic shapes consist of 2 parts. First, the curling part that has corn skin attached to it. Second, the puff that exploded.

Aside from the shape, use the color pick feature in CSP to obtain a color palette from your reference pictures. Here is mine.

S1. Step 3 - Simplify & Combine

After you are aware of the basic shapes that construct your object, or the patterns. You need to simplify it further, into shapes you can memorize easily, or rules that you can use to redraw the shape!

You can also try to combine certain shapes you find interesting, to make more shapes!

And now, we have "unique features" ready to help us cook the character later!

S1. Step 4 - Set Up Categories

After the ingredients are prepped, we will still need a recipe right?

This is where "planning" takes place!

 

There is no limit on how many categories you may set up. You can list down a few basic ones like:

• gender

• age

• body type

• job/genre

• your main reference's characteristic (popcorn's characteristic)

 

You can also go a little more specific like hair type, or even country. It's all up to you! Can you see just how much freedom and exploration you can do?

 

These categories are going to be used to list up various variables, which later we are going to decide and pick as our character's attribute.

S1. Step 5 - Determine Direction

In this step, you may choose between using a mind map or other brainstorming tools to help you decide which variable in each category you'll pick!

Before making the mind map, I cropped my reference and apply the artistic filter to it.

After the main reference is polished, branch the mind map into the categories we have set up earlier. Now for each category, list down as many variables as you like. Remember, you are referencing your main object here, so you would want to also list down as many characteristics from your main object, in the mind map! If you come up with new categories in this step, just list them right away! Let the mind map branch out like crazy. Then, for the final step, you need to choose one variable representing each category.

SECTION 2 [COOKING TIME]

Now, it's time to get the stove ready and cook a tasty dish!

S2. Step 1 - Tidy Up

Before going on to the next step, you'll need to tidy up your workspace a bit. Collect every ingredient you prepped! Also, keep in mind that this cooking process can be done in any order you want!

S2. Step 2 - Sketch & Do Iterations

Just start doodling and sketching what comes into your mind, while at the same time guided by your mind map and ingredients! If the first few attempts are not satisfying for you, do as many iterations as you need!

 

I started by drawing the figure, then adding more details along the way using the unique features. Don't worry about messing up! Even I don't like my first try over here, so I decided to design the head first. And yup, I still don't like both of them. These are my failed attempts.

S2. Step 3 - Avoid The Obvious

As I was sketching the face, I don't want to pick an obvious idea. You might be thinking the same. "Popcorn", curly hair, so the character's hair is curly?

I don't want this, so I looked the other way, and an Idea struck my head. "What if, I use the stripe from the box as the hair?". Then, to represent the popcorn, I simply added a hair bun!

S2. Step 4 - Pick Complementary References

As you go, remember, your own imagination may tell you what to draw, but it won't be able to describe the object you want to draw in detail! So, along the way, I usually look up some extra references for the equipment. Here, are the shoes and the gloves from extra references that I have traced for later use in my design process.

S2. Step 5 - Add Value & Reasoning

As you add more items to the character, ask yourself these kinds of questions:

• Why is this character wearing this?

• What do they need to wear to avoid injuries?

 

This helps me to add more unique points to my character. My line of thought was "The popcorns here are hot or sticky, so she'll need to use thicker non-stick gloves on her left hand". While for the other hand, she'll still need to wear gloves to avoid getting blisters from the sword.

Now you understand there are reasons behind her using two different types of gloves for each hand.

S2. Step 6 - Draw Poses

When you are satisfied with the design, you may draw some poses. Then pick one for your final piece. I drew 4 poses and decided to go with number 4 as my final piece.

S2. Step 7 - Prepare The Final Piece

Now, to the chosen pose, add all the ideas you've pre-cooked before. This one is just a temporary piece, that will be your guide in drawing the final piece later. You may add flat colors and rough shadow blocks. I only do mine with flat colors. Tada! We have created a character blueprint! Congratulations!

OUTRO

That's all the tips I can give about anthropomorphism. Further steps from here won't count as "Ideation" anymore. I will describe my popcorn character in detail and what I learned while finishing it, in the next video on my Youtube channel.

 

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to drop a like below 🥰.